High lead levels in Disney jewelry

0 Comments | Oakland Tribune, Apr 12, 2005 | by Douglas Fischer, STAFF WRITER

A Disney-brand bracelet and other children's jewelry purchased at Disneyland resort contain dangerously high levels of lead -- in one instance 275 times the legal limit for lead in paint, according to an Oakland-based environmental group's report being released today.

In one instance, the coating on a Disney bracelet purchased at an Oakland Walgreens contained nearly 17 percent lead, or 166,000 parts- per-million lead. The coating of a children's necklace, labeled "lead-free" and purchased at Disneyland, contained almost 2 percent lead, or 19,000 ppm, according to tests done by the Center for Environmental Health.

The legal limit for lead in paint is 0.06 percent, or 600 ppm.

"I look at the coating as very similar to lead paint. It's something that could easily chip off or that your kids could chew off," said Charles Margulis, CEH's spokesman.

"If you had that much lead in your paint, there'd be a national recall."

The center filed a legal notice against Disney under California's Proposition 65, the Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986, and called on the company to order an immediate recall.

Disney on Monday expressed surprise at the allegations -- and wondered why CEH never contacted the company about its concerns.

"Obviously, we're in the business of fami-

ly entertainment. We have an entire division to work with all of our licensees to make sure all our products are of the highest order of kid safety," said spokesman Gary Foster. "We require all our licensees and those manufacturing Disney products to adhere to every environmental and safety standard in place."

Lead, a potent neurotoxin, is particularly harmful to young children and fetuses. Last month a 6-year-old girl in San Jose suffered lead poisoning from a charm bracelet purchased at a craft store, and at least seven other children over the past few years have needed medical attention for lead-poisoning from toy jewelry, according to the center.

Lead is often added as a softener to plastic. While domestic manufacturers have largely abandoned the practice, overseas companies still use the metal additive, Margulis said.

In March the U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission issued a new policy ordering lead out of children's jewelry. The Disney items, the center said, tested positive for lead in components not covered by the new policy.

CEH tested five pieces of children's jewelry: The Disney-brand bracelet purchased in Oakland and four non-Disney items purchased at a Disneyland gift store.

The bracelet's glossy coating was highest, followed by the "lead- free" necklace. Another bracelet purchased at Disneyland contained 1.1 percent lead -- 11,000 ppm. The other two items -- a key chain and a charm bracelet -- contained only trace amounts of lead, Margulis said.

The testing need not be sophisticated. Although CEH's tests were conducted by an independent lab, Margulis said he could verify them by dabbing the surface with a common lead-paint detection kit available at hardware stores.

"As soon as it touched the surface, it turned bright pink," he said.